Pursuits Captain Carl leaves letter behind

[Work in to Cruise 2023]

Captain Carl is on his way. This is a letter that Carl wrote and found by a friend who is in training to be a deck officer.

“So that’s it. I am going home. 6 months and 10 days since I joined Pursuit in Buenos Aires on January 5th of this year. 3 and a half months and around 9000 miles since I was supposed to have signed off in Peru back in March.
We have the cables laid out between the Pursuit and the Quest, which will be the mother ship for this Cold Lay up situation. As I get in the car with Captain Magnus, who is also leaving today, they are connecting the two vessels together, and Pursuit will power down and go “Cold” tomorrow or Friday.
Captain Gianmario is staying in Command of all 3 ships for the next few weeks, and will then go home himself when Captain Filipos is out of self quarantine.
This whole contract has been an emotional roller coaster, from Antarctica and Rio Carnival through the west coast of South America, where the ports were closing in front of our faces. Disembarkation of Guests in Miami, well most of them, we kept 5 Argentinians an additional 5 weeks as they could not get home! Then the crew transfers off Cococay in the Bahamas. 18 Cruise ships transferring crew so that each nationality was accounted for on a certain vessel, an operation that took weeks, and was war like in its scale.
And now, here in Glasgow. We arrived with 54 onboard, and have seen our numbers slowly decline to a situation where there are currently 42 left, 4 more Indian crew are leaving an hour after me, and the rest will be moving to the Quest over the next few days, where they will live until everything is completed on Pursuit.
I’m going home. 6 months and 13 days ago I said my goodbyes, and kissed my wife and kids as I left my family. It’s been a bloody long time.
I will be home just after midnight tonight. 10 hours from now. 600 minutes. Not that I’m counting.....
Getting just a little emotional now.”
Carl

[oddjob16]

Maybe it is me, but I am reading something definate and final in those first three words: "So that's it." Will we ever see these ships sailing with passengers again?

[Grandma Cruising]

Not sure about that - it could just mean ‘that’s it for the foreseeable future’ ‘cos no-one knows when they will sail again.

Not surprised he’s getting emotional, it must have been a very stressful time for him. He’s an emotional chap anyway. We were onboard his last cruise before he joined the Pursuit and he was pretty emotional then!

[uktog]

That was also his Facebook post with photos with everyone. So circulation was wide 

Edited July 18, 2020 by uktog

[oddjob16]

1 hour ago, uktog said:

That was also his Facebook post with photos with everyone. So circulation was wide 

I know, and I also commented on the FB post that it could not have been easy to shut down and walk to the transport to the airport. 

[uktog]

1 hour ago, oddjob16 said:

I know, and I also commented on the FB post that it could not have been easy to shut down and walk to the transport to the airport. 

Yes. at least he was not alone, Captain Magnus was with his as well, they both must have had emotions as would Gianmario left holding all their babies

[excitedofharpenden]

What a contract Carl has had.  Its  not just the Master. Many other officers and crew have had one long stint on the ship. Milen, Chief Engineer on my Journey immediately springs to mind. Him and his making sure the ship gets safely to where it needs to be. 

 

Phil 

[uktog]

Indeed, Milan as Chief Engineer is still in Glasgow dealing with the cooling down,  He is such a brilliant Chief Engineer who knows R class inside out as does Gianmario who was involved in the build.  The one thing that gives us comfort for the future is these two guys are the best hands for leaving the vessels such that mechanically they can come back safely and certainly for Journey and Quest, where Azamara knows more of their engineering and maintenance history a quick return when the time is right.

But Milan's wife and adorable daughter must be so missing him as well as the ships they spent summers and other holidays on every year.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I'm so sorry guys, this must be so hard on you inveterate Azamara cruisers.  We met a few of you on our one Journey cruise, and it was a lovely experience.  This whole situation has brought me to tears.  All the best to all of you, and to all the brilliant staff involved.

[excitedofharpenden]

8 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

I'm so sorry guys, this must be so hard on you inveterate Azamara cruisers.  We met a few of you on our one Journey cruise, and it was a lovely experience.  This whole situation has brought me to tears.  All the best to all of you, and to all the brilliant staff involved.

Wendy, I remember meeting you and your husband on that one cruise.  I can't remember which one it was though.  Keep well.  

 

Phil

Edited July 19, 2020 by excitedofharpenden

[Wendy The Wanderer]

9 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Wendy, I remember meeting you and your husband on that one cruise.  I can't remember which one it was though.  Keep well.  

 

Phil

 

Hi Phil, no wonder, since you were doing so many!  It was Rome-Rome on Journey,  30 September, 2016.  We almost did a second one to Norway in 2018 but got diverted by a Seabourn cruise with friends.  

Edited July 19, 2020 by Wendy The Wanderer

[excitedofharpenden]

Can't believe it was that long ago!

 

Phil